Lindsey Ellefson discusses the Ivy Lee method, a century-old productivity technique focusing on creating manageable to-do lists. The method involves listing six tasks at the end of each workday for the next day, prioritizing them, and tackling each task sequentially without jumping ahead. Unfinished tasks are rolled over to the next day’s list, ensuring completion without feeling overwhelmed.
Key Points
- Origin of the Ivy Lee Method: Ivy Lee, the founder of modern public relations, developed this productivity method in the 1920s to help businesses increase efficiency through prioritized and manageable task lists.
- Creating the To-Do List: The method requires writing down six tasks at the end of each workday for the following day. Tasks should be manageable and prioritized, possibly using tools like the Eisenhower Matrix for determining urgency and importance.
- Sequential Task Completion: The approach advocates for focusing on one task at a time, starting with the most important, and completing it before moving to the next.
- Rolling Over Unfinished Tasks: Any tasks not completed by the end of the day are moved to the top of the next day’s list, ensuring they get attention and eventual completion.
- Implementation Tools: This method can be used in various formats such as planners, digital notes, or calendars, with the emphasis on maintaining a limited number of tasks, prioritizing them, and ensuring their completion.
Source: https://lifehacker.com/work/the-ivy-lee-productivity-method
